The exhibit building, a small structure on the rim, has seen a variety of uses. Once known as the Kaiser Studio, which sold hand-tinted photographs, the structure now serves as the Rim Visitor Center. This has been the main contact point between NPS personnel and park visitors (other than at entrance stations), but the facility is in an obscure location and visitation is relatively low.
The Sinnott Memorial below the rim, open only during the summer, offers a spectacular view of the lake. Talks on the formation of the lake are given, and a small exhibit room emphasizes the geological processes that created the lake, and its discovery and exploration. Access is difficult for some because of the steep path and stairs.
Other facilities operated by the Park Service include a rustic comfort station on the edge of the main parking area and a large picnic area with three comfort stations. The picnic area, a former campground, retains an extensive road system and parking spurs at former campsites. A trail system leads out of the village to viewpoints and hiking trails to other areas of the park. In the summer, guided walks and hikes are offered from the Rim Village. In the winter, the park is open to cross-country skiing, and snowshoe walks are conducted by the park staff.
Viewing the lake in the winter can be hazardous because plows create a huge bank of snow along the rim adjacent to the parking area. Climbing the snowbank is particularly dangerous close to the edge of the caldera. Weather conditions, especially wind, contribute to the problem of safely viewing the lake. A steel road culvert, placed at the edge of the rim, forms a tunnel through the snowbank and provides some protection for viewing the lake.
At mid-day in the summer, the Rim Village can be a chaotic place with cars, buses, and RVs searching for parking places and hundreds of visitors crossing the roads and parking areas between the cafeteria, restroom, and the rim walkways. However, mornings and evenings without the crowds are pleasant times to leisurely stroll the rim and view the lake.The existing lodge and employee dormitory are connected to a wastewater treatment system in Munson Valley. Other facilities are connected to a septic tank/leachfield system southwest of the cafeteria. Because this system could cause pollutants to enter the lake, all facilities in the Rim Village area will be connected to the Munson Valley wastewater treatment system. Other potential sources of pollutants include drainage from the parking areas in the Rim Village and contaminants contained in the snow blown over the caldera edge when roads and parking areas are plowed.
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